


loyalest disciples

by sp_spaceboy



Category: Firebringer - Team StarKid
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Gen, M/M, Sleepy Cuddles, all hail the duck, enjoy and pls give constructive criticism, it could honestly be read as platonic or romantic, no beta we die like men, smucker is now my comfort ship bye, this fic also implies emberly/tiblyn/grunt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-19 08:40:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29623614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sp_spaceboy/pseuds/sp_spaceboy
Summary: it's cold in the cave. smelly-balls can't sleep.
Relationships: Ducker & Smelly-Balls (Firebringer), Smelly-Balls/Ducker (Firebringer)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	loyalest disciples

**Author's Note:**

> follow me on tumblr at @sk-smucker!

It was a particularly cold night—to the point where it was snowing and the small tribe had to retreat further into their uncomfortable cave to avoid the biting winds and whiteness that were blowing in.

A fire was kept in the center of their loose circle, providing some minor warmth. Zazzalil was huddled closest to it. If she were to roll any closer, actually, it’d catch and burn her. However, she had yet to be moved away by Jemilla, who was dutifully keeping watch for the time being.

Emberly, Grunt, and Tiblyn all snuggled together against the cave wall, each curled up. Tiblyn was at the center, cradling her arms. Emberly was wrapped around her. Her glasses were still smushed against her face. Then Grunt was enveloping the both of them in his arms. They looked so unbothered by the chill in the cave.

Smelly-Balls laid in a little ball, shivering and staring down the fire in a useless competition that he was hopelessly determined to somehow win. Its light was keeping him awake, no matter which way he turned to sleep.

Ducker was slouched near him against the wall and repeatedly nodding off and jerking back awake. He’d claimed to be listening to the Duck earlier.

Smelly-Balls blinked once more, losing again to the dancing flame. He only growled at it and narrowed his eyes since he’d been told by Jemilla not to yell at the fire during the night.

“Sm’ll, what’re you doing up…?”

Ducker was half-awake again. He was looking down at Smelly-Balls with a little semi-frown.

“Beating the fire in a staring contest. I won,” he lied.

“But fire can’t blink…? And you sounded upset.”

Smelly-Balls rolled over so that he could look at Ducker properly.

“It was a winning growl. I’m making sure that fire knows I’m in charge.”

Ducker swatted limply at him and blinked furiously to wake himself up. The decorative berry juice on his face from the day was coming off onto his hands.

“The Duck says fire cannot blink. You lost, Smelly-Balls.” Ducker watched him with a blatant look of amusement.

“Shut up, Ducker. You’re just a coward who  _ will _ lose a staring contest to the fire.”

Ducker huffed an indignant noise and swatted at Smelly-Balls again. He made contact this time and hit his forearm.

In retaliation, Smelly-Balls quickly shoved himself closer and knocked his shoulder into Ducker’s hip.

“Smelly-Balls, Ducker. Stop it, or you’ll wake the others,” Jemilla hissed from her place near Zazzalil. She was playing mother again, with her stern look and tone and her disapproving posture.

The two deflated.

Smelly-Balls scooched closer to the other man and shoved his head into his lap. As if on instinct, Ducker’s hand flew to his blonde hair to pet at it.

“What do you want.”

“It’s cold and I can’t sleep.”

With Smelly-Balls’s head now in his lap, Ducker could see the tired lines and dark shades that painted his face. He was blinking slowly and seemingly couldn’t lift his eyelids all the way.

“Do you want to cuddle?” He suggested in return.

“Yeah.”

And then Ducker shoved Smelly-Balls out of his lap (“Ow!”), laid down behind him, and wrapped himself close.

“The Duck grants you sleep through me. His disciples are rewarded for their loyalty, and you are loyalest of all,” he mumbled.

Smelly-Balls squirmed in his hold until he was facing his chest.

“What’s wrong?”

“Too bright. Can’t sleep.”

Ducker felt a smile cross his face. As much as he wouldn’t admit it because of his hubris, Smelly-Balls’s trust in him crashed through him like a warm wave. It was so nice to be trusted like  _ this _ and not just blindly swindled into it.

“Go to sleep, Smell.” He began to pet his tangled blonde hair again.

Smelly-Balls mumbled something against his skin and settled fully, all remaining tension beginning to leak out of him and into the stone floor.

Ducker fell asleep not long after, finally fed up with trying to stay awake.

The Duck brought content sleep and peaceful dreams to both of them, his loyalest disciples.


End file.
